Peach ice cream on a summer morning

I was talking to my grandmother the other day, and she mentioned that she had just eaten a peach from her tree. “It was a perfect peach,” she said. The season is almost over in Texas, but it’s just begun here in New York so last Saturday I scooped up a few at the farmers’ market.

While our peaches aren’t as famous as Georgia’s, it’s difficult to find a more sweet, juicy and tangy peach than a Texas peach. And while, yes, we Texans like to brag about many things, peaches are near the top of my list.

My grandmother freezes bag upon bag of her peaches every year, and there are also plenty of peach pies and cobblers made with the harvest. But it’s reached that point in the summer when I no longer want to heat up my apartment by baking—I need my food to be quick and cool. So when it comes to peaches—what I’ve been craving is the soft floral flavor of peach ice cream.

Back home, we had Blue Bell’s Peaches & Homemade Vanilla available by the gallon during the summer months when you needed a taste. But here in New York City, I’ve seen peach sorbet but no peach ice cream. That’s not a problem, however, since homemade ice cream is always better than store bought. I asked my grandmother for her peach ice cream recipe but she didn’t have one to give me. “Just throw the fruit in like you’d do with any fruit ice cream,” she said. She then shared with me her basic vanilla ice cream recipe, which sounded wonderful but a bit too complex.

I’m a simple person when it comes to my homemade ice cream. I don’t like to use anything but cream, sweetener and flavor. I know that lots of people prefer to make ice cream with eggs, but I’m too lazy and impatient to mess with making a custard. Instead, I just want to throw the ingredients into my ice-cream maker and whip it into something thick and delicious—the faster the better.

I mentioned that I had buttermilk on hand and I asked my grandmother what she thought about my including that with the cream. “That sounds fabulous!” she said. “And I would love some of that though I reckon it doesn’t ship very well.” So, I promised to make her some next time I visited.

I think that super ripe peaches make for the best ice cream. And my favorite way to ripen them is to leave them sitting in a bowl in the window for a couple of days. In the heat, the fruit becomes soft more quickly, plus whenever a breeze comes in through the screen, the air smells of peaches.

When they’re ripe and I’m ready to make ice cream, I peel and quarter them and then toss the peaches with lemon juice, cinnamon and sugar. I place them in the refrigerator to steep overnight, which vastly improves the intensity of the flavor.

In the morning, I mix buttermilk with the cream, add some vanilla and then stir in the peaches. I pour the mix into my ice cream maker and half an hour later, I’m eating fresh peach ice cream for breakfast.

I can’t think of a sweeter, cooler way to start a sultry summer day. Can you?

Ingredients

Instructions

Toss peeled and sliced peaches with sugar, lemon juice, and cinnamon. Cover, refrigerate and let macerate at least for a couple of hours, preferably overnight or all day.

Puree 1 1/2 cups of the peaches (save the rest for mixing in after you make your ice cream), and then mix puree with cream, buttermilk and vanilla.

Freeze according to your ice-cream maker’s instructions.

Note: To peel the peaches, I place them into a pot of boiling water for 30 seconds, and then transfer them to a bowl filled with ice water to halt the cooking. The skin should rub right off after blanching. If you use canned, you also might want to use less sugar if they were canned in syrup.

You just made my mouth water at the thought of Blue Bell Ice Cream. No matter what type of ice cream I try, the vanilla is always a disapointment. I don’t know what Blue Bell puts in their “homestyle vanilla” but it just makes it the best.

Makin’ me hungry again! I have some really ripe Cooper Farms (Fairfield, TX) peaches, how great would that be? I am really lazy, and don’t have an ice cream maker; I think I will soften up some Blue Bell homemade vanilla and throw them in….

Oh my goodness! I can’t believe you just posted this wonderful recipe. I’ve been missing Blue Bell and wondering about homemade ice cream without eggs. Thank you, thank you! The ice cream in England just isn’t the same as back home.

lovely. i just ate some buttermilk ice cream in louisville and had the very same conversation with a friend about the buttermilk-over-making-a-custard thing. yours looks DUH-vine! and dang it, i was just at the farmers’ market (mississippi grows a fine peach, too!) but was distracted by the ‘maters (we planted late). i can smell those peaches on the windowsill right now….and noy, wouldn’t that peach ice cream be well on some pie?

a HA! This time I’m not completely starving when reading your blog, and interestingly enough feeling less guilty about the homemade chocolate sorbet I just had for breakfast…considering you had peach ice cream for yours. 🙂 Boy it sounds tasty! My husband and I are huge fans of buttermilk so I bet this is deeeelicious!I like your melty ice cream photo.

My dad made his homemade peach ice cream right before the 4th of July. It’s an old Texan recipe passed down from my grandmother. We used some Tennessee peaches that were deliciously ripe, but I love me some Texas peaches more than anything! Last summer I pulled off the road several times between Houston and Dallas to buy bags of peaches.

That is the most gorgeous photograph! Last week was the Parker County (Texas) Peach Festival. I had two pounds of peaches and a huge yen for peach cobbler but I can’t bake in my old giant Chambers gas range in my small kitchen during a Texas summer. I ended up baking it in my little toaster oven, and it was the best cobbler I’ve ever made. Modern science. I guess this week it’s time for peach ice cream. Thanks for the delicious-sounding recipe using the buttermilk–it would add just the right tang to cut the cream a little.

In Texas we had a peach tree in our back yard. It was such a treat to have an abundance of tangy sweet peaches to bite into. They were so juicy and delicious. Sigh! I miss the Blue Bell ice cream too but at least we have some heat going on here now in which to enjoy a cone of our own regional Tillamook ice cream.

Are you guys crazy?? Parker county peaches or Freestone county. Only 2 acceptable.

I hate making custard ice cream and just bought a new ice cream maker, so thank you so much for posting this. Of course, my ice cream maker is attached to a KitchenAid mixer that I lusted over and truly don’t need.

Ohhh DeLeon’s peaches…I so miss them. I like the buttermilk idea too. Hey Whitney, I’m an expat Texan too, and only about a hundred miles out of Chi-Town…and evidently missing Texas as much as you are.

I can’t find decent peaches in Sweden to save my life. I miss those rode trips through east texas, stopping on the side of the road to buy a basket of peaches. What a great memory! Thanks Homesick for making me…well… homesick!!! 😉

Blue Bell ice cream! Texas peaches! You are most definitely killing me here. NJ has decent peaches but nothing like those from Texas. One of my very fondest memories of visiting my grandparents in east Texas was on hot summer Sundays when we would come home from church and my dad and uncles would churn up a batch of homemade ice cream (almost always vanilla or peach). My job was to be the one who sat on the freezer so that it would hold still while they were cranking. The whole freezer would then be covered with blankets and set in a cool spot (hard to find in Aug in east Texas) to cure. Meanwhile the women folk would be cooking a big ol’ meal. We would normally eat around 2:00 in the afternoon. The rest of the afternoon was spent with the adults napping and my brothers and cousins and I climbing the magnolia tree or sneaking up to the pool hall where we would lift each other up to take a peak at what they were doing in there (we only got caught once). The very best part was that we would have ice cream for dinner! No “real food” just a huge bowl of peach ice cream. Sometimes blackberry cobbler would be subsituted and that’s where the blue bell ice cream came in. Ice cream for dinner — truly what children’s memories are made of. Thank you for taking me back to those days. Are Texans the only ones who are this nostalgic???

Casasailer–I know exactly what you mean–it’s a highly addictive substance, whatever it is!

Nola–That sounds like a great combination to me!

Mom–Did you recognize that orange bowl? I told you I’d get good use out of it!

Chu This–Yep, so many of us do.

Shweetpotato–Sorry to be such a tease!

Mike–Nope, no ice cream left (what I didn’t eat for breakfast ended up being part of my dinner). And thanks for posting the Blue Bell link.

Katie–You definitely need to make peach when they’re in season!

Talida–It’s a terrific way to start the day!

Katie–Breakfast, lunch, dessert–whenever–it’s always good!

Just a plane ride away–As long as you use real cream, it’ll have a smooth texture.

Amy C Evans–It would be incredible on pie! Blueberry, peach or even buttermilk!

Tace–I made chocolate sorbet a couple of weeks ago, and did the same thing–goes very well with coffee.

Kmays–Nice–I love old recipes that stay in families. Hold onto it!

Lydia–Yep, it’s quick and easy, just the way I like it.

Ginny–Why thank you! And I had no idea you could make cobbler in a toaster oven–I may have to buy one of those!

Lisa–Having a yard is one of the things I miss the most about living in NYC–there’s nothing like fresh fruit plucked from the tree.

ChickenFriedGourmet–You bet!

Jeff–Eat a bowl or two for those of us who can’t.

CDees39–If you do holiday baking, your Kitchen Aid mixer will be truly appreciated.

Shel–Seems like there’s a lot of us missing peaches!

Chel–Thank you! I’m so glad y’all enjoyed the King Ranch casserole–it’s one of my favorites, too!

Brilynn–I bet they’ll be in season there soon–maybe even by early next week.

Paula–I know–nothing says summer has arrived than that first juicy bite of a peach.

Rosa–Thank you!

The Obergs–That’s a shame. Do they not have peaches there or do they just taste bad?

Greg–I love to do that too! I posted a peach/habanero salsa last August, and that was my favorite thing to pair with it.

Msrb–I highly recommend getting an ice-cream maker.

DivaDog–I don’t know if Texans are the most nostalgic, but what’s cool is that it seems that we share a bunch of memories. What a lovely story–you’ve just transported me from my beige urban office to a lazy East Texas summer.

S for Kitchen Confit–Yep, I couldn’t find any. Sigh.

Tracy–I’m glad you had a peach to keep you company as you read the post!

long time lurker…had to post. yum!! i just made peach ice cream a few weeks ago. picked up a bunch just outside fredericksburg on our way home from tubin’ the frio river. next time i’ll have to try with buttermilk. ah, summers in texas.

god how i miss blue bell peaches and cream ice cream…my favorite…i really should get an ice cream maker, this recipe should make up for it.

i am an expat texan living in LA, and i love your blog. fantastic recipes. the spanish rice was great. i made it two nights in a row. one random question…….have you ever tried the wet-dry-wet method of chicken frying (giving it a second dip in the milk/egg after the flour)? it gives it that thick restaurant crust that i never thought i could do at home.

Um yum! There is nothing better than a Fredericksburg peach! Especially when you are picking it. Recipe sounds delicious as usual. Going to go pick me up some peaches and try it this weekend. See ya next week.

Deceiver of Men–I know, that’s one of the things I miss is fresh fruit on the roadside. And that’s awful that you don’t have a freezer–I hope you get one soon!

Anon–Texas summers may be hotter than heck, but boy are they good for fruit!

Sandy–If you love ice cream, I highly recommend getting an ice cream maker, it’s one of the best purchases I ever made. No, but I do that for my chicken-fried steak. I’ll have to try that with my fried chicken!

Marina–Yep, you can’t go wrong with cinnamon, peaches and cream!

Jerry–As my mom says, there’s nothing better than a peach fresh from the tree, warmed by the sun.

Tammy–Welcome! Here’s a recipe for kolaches (it’s spelled with a k!). Enjoy!

Homesick Texan I just wanted you to know I am a fellow Texan from Dallas. I made your peach ice cream this evening. It was hotter than heck out today 101 geez and it sounded perfect for the day. We loved it as a matter of fact i am enjoying a bowl as I type. the buttermilk flavor really compliments the ice cream. Next weekend is your fried pies I cant wait. Thank you for the recipe. I feel so bad for you a Texas girl stuck in new york. At least you are recreating the food we all love. wonderful blog girl.

i don’t have an ice cream maker, but i really really wanted some of this ice cream. so i did some online investigation and found a way to make it with ice, ziplocs and kosher salt. only 10 minutes of “shaking and rotating” netted some amazing ice cream.

Texas peaches, I’ve had them in abundance here in Plano TX (from Fairfield TX). I’ve been longing for some south Texas peaches. We’re heading for San Antonio this Thursday and I’ll get to visit Fredrickburg for the 1st time on Friday. I’m psyched for some peach pie or ice cream! We’ll be hitting a small town for some GOOD BBQ on the way down Thursday. Saturday is my family reunion in Boerne Texas. Will have some great smoked brisket. Sunday we’ll relax in downtown SA with a trip to the Buckhorn Saloon. Then sadly head back on Monday to Big D. I’ll have some ice cream for you. The Bolner’s spanish rice mix is going in the mail to you this week. It rocks and saves a lot of time… and it’s yummy too. I’ve sworn by it for almost 20 years. I was forced to learn to cook Tex-Mex when I moved to Plano.

According to my fiance, who grew up in Houston, there is no ice cream on earth that is better than Blue Bell. In fact, Blue Bell cookies & cream is the ice cream *he* ate for breakfast for most of his childhood — but I think this would be a good rival!

Laughing at katy's cookies n cream comment. When I went to hill country i expressed my disappointment in their selection of boring flavors. "Why no cookies and cream?" The waitress said, "everyone from Texas asks us that!" uh, then maybe you should get that flavor!

Anyway, I cracked and bought a pint of Ben & Jerry's Willie Nelson Peach Cobbler because of this post. Not the same, but it'll have to do for now!

Oh god, the only thing that could improve upon this is using one of those Pennsylvania Dutch pretzels they sell at the greenmarket to scoop it up and eat it with. That’s always been my grandma’s favorite treat; peach ice cream and pretzels…. Salty, sweet, a little tart. So good. I’m so hungry now!

As a fellow New Yorker Texas transplant, oh how I miss that Blue Bell peach ice cream. During the summer months, it beats out my fave, cookies and cream. NOBODY does it like Bluebell. It’s a shame we can’t get it north of the Mason Dixon line.

I have GOT to get me an ice cream maker. Meanwhile, this is the season for peach cobbler. I need to whip up some with a scoop of Blue Bell homemade vanilla. I usually use canned, but you’ve inspired me to try to mess with the fresh ones this time. 🙂

Oh my word, I just found you! Where has your blog been all my life! Thank you for this wonderful blog. I’m a converted subscriber. By the way, After three years in Texas, I just spent six months out before moving back. The margaritas and salsa were calling my name. It’s not the same out there! -Sara

This is great! I just got an ice cream maker and had no idea you don’t have to make a custard. I’m definitely going to try this method. We are at the tail end of peach season here in Northern California.

Hey there fellow Texan. Congratulations on the award. I really like your site. I’m from El Paso Texas and, of course, I love Mex-Am food. Hope to talk to you again. Come and visit my site anytime you’d like.

I am in a New Hampshire lake house, and just last night a fellow Texan (also displaced) and I were reminiscing about our grandparents’ peach ice cream! It is one of the things that really represents my childhood summer memories.

I look forward to trying your recipe . . . even though I will probably have to use Italian or Egyptian peaches!

Thanks to you and Divadog I just enjoyed a wonderful flashback. I too sat on the hand-crank ice cream maker many a Sunday after church at my grandparents. I closed my eyes and I could hear my dad say “We need more salt!” I can see Mamaw setting the table through the back porch screen door. And I swear I smelled fresh biscuits baking.

Beautiful pictures. What a treat to “hear” your mom chime in! I bet they are all excited that you will visit soon. Ohhh, I cannot wait to hear about your food adventures when you get back!

Mmmmm… homemade peach ice cream is one of my Texas favorites. It was always standard fare at the church Fourth of July picnic.

I’ve been a Texas expat for 10 years now (Boston, Philly and now London), and many of your posts echo my thoughts exactly. I can’t believe I’ve only just found you (via Smitten Kitchen’s recent post on huevos rancheros). I too have been trying my darndest to create my Texas favorites (Tex-Mex in particular) in London. It is so difficult here due to lack of ingredients, but I am so happy to have your recipes to help me!

I *love* peach ice cream! One of my fondest memories when I was growing up in Austin was driving out into the Hill Country towards Fredricksburg with my family each spring (well, late spring, June-ish, which is already summer in TX, but still…) to buy peaches from the roadside stands. That meant several days of peach cobbler, then peach ice cream, then peach jam, then just as many as you could eat with the juice running down your arm.

Oh, I’m so homesick! So sad! There’s just nothing like the Texas hill country, is there? And now, I *really* miss my mamma! I’m gonna have to get home soon and get her to make me a cobbler, too!

i finally got the coopers farm peaches i’ve beenlooking for, just the right sweetness. so, it will be peach ice cream in day or so. i’m alsogoing to add some organic vanilla wafer cookies.and since this will be two batches, the secondmay be some amoretto (sic) soaked peaches andthe cookies soaked as well. it will be my version of peach ammoretto freezes crunch.

Here you are with what I will miss the most! Blue Bell Peaches and Homemade Vanilla is a favorite of mine in the summer months. I will have to give this recipe a try. I am seriously so happy to have found your blog!

Okay, I was dealing with the homesickness until you got to peaches. Frozen peaches with ice cream before bed was the treat before bedtime at my Mamaw’s. Thanks for the memories and all the great recipes. Now I’ve got to go get a kleenex.

I bought buttermilk this weekend for pancakes, and rather than freezing the rest, this recipe popped in my head (along with the slew of frozen white peaches from last summer that fell out of my freezer). Such a delicious recipe, thanks!

Can’t wait to try this out. I recently read that most of this year’s Fredericksburg peach crop was wiped out by a late freeze. Bummer. I’ll be there in a couple of weeks to escape the Washington rat race.

Aww gosh its amazing how I am not the only onw missing Blue Bell. I am from New Orleans and I miss the taste so much. And the weather here is perfect right now for it….not blistering hot like at home and your ice cream would melt in the trunk before you got home lol.

OMG Death by Blog..Ya'll are killing me here. Fresh peach ice cream..best memory: We had left Odessa to spend two weeks with both sets of grandparents; one in Virginia and one in Kentucky. After a day at Virginia Beach fishing we went back to the homestead for a major back yard fish fry..(river bank cornbread ring a bell with anyone) Any way my Aunt and Uncle drove up and yelled that they needed help getting the peaches out of the car trunk and I ran over about the time they opened the trunk and was almost overcome with the smell of fresh juicy ripe peaches-Does that smell mean SUMMER to anyone else? They had couple of baskets full of peaches which we peeled and sliced and then put into the ice cream maker. My cousins and I took turns turning the crank and let me tell you ..after that big dinner of fried fish and cornbead and slaw – that ice cream was mana from heaven. Thanks for the memory! I have had a hard time finding great peaches here in California but I keep trying. If anyone has a great peach cobbler recipe I would love you to share it. I will have to find a way to try this ice cream too.. I have gained 20 pounds just going through the recipes on this dang blog..

Blue Bell Ice Cream..My dad said he invested a lot of time searching for anything that was even close to as good as Blue Bell and he never did!

Lisa, this sounds fantastic. I just made a skillet peach cobbler last night and served it with Blue Bell Homemade vanilla. Simple and perfect. 🙂 Can't wait to try to make homemade peach ice cream your way.

I made this tonight. I admit I was skeptical. I've never made ice cream before that wasn't from a custard. I should not have worried, it was absolutely delicious. Thank you so much for the recipe. I topped it with a blueberry sauce. Magnificent.

New Yorkers, Brooklyn Ice Cream Factory has a delicious peach ice cream if you, like me, are ice cream maker-less (although after looking at this recipe, I really want to buy one!). The newer outpost of BICF in Greenpoint never has the long, pesky lines that trouble the original store in DUMBO.

I just made this ice cream. It's delicious! I'm from northern Ohio and had never had peach ice cream before. I've been looking for good ways to use summer fruits and vegetables; this is perfect! I can really taste the peach, even before mixing in the excess fruit. Thank you! Great for a hot summer evening.

My granddaughter is entering a homemade ice cream contest next week. She is calling it Peach Priscilla. We needed a base recipe and chose yours – her added ingredient was soft baked ginger spiced cookies crumbled and added at the end with the diced peaches.Her 2 year old sister was licking the dasher and wanting more. We'll let you know how she does next week.

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